People learn about the world by collectively acquiring information, filtering it, and sharing what we know. Misinformation undermines this process. The repercussions are extensive, sometimes tragic.
People continue to die from Covid-19 infections because they have refused to be vaccinated due to anti-vaccine propaganda by the so-called anti-vaxxers.
Without reliable and accurate sources of information, people cannot make informed decisions about their lives.
The internet is a major source of information on anything and everything. Some of that information are unverified and untrustworthy. Unfortunately, most people consume them and act based on such misinformation. They do not bother to cross check anti-vaccine information on the internet to ascertain whether the information is from a credible source and is updated on a regular basis.
For example, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the African Centers Disease Control’s vaccines and immunization web content are researched, written and approved by subject matter experts, including physicians, researchers, epidemiologists, and analysts. Africa Science Media Center works with experts to provide the media and the public with access to credible information on vaccines based on peer-reviewed science.